‘NYT’ gives Oren a lectern to spew potted history

Ever notice how the Times will happily publish any claim by an Israeli spokesman, regardless of its relationship to facts? Note today’s op-ed by ambassador Michael Oren: “Will Egypt Be a Partner in Peace?” It would take a while to discuss thoroughly the record between Israel and Nasser in the early years, and the story is somewhat complicated. But any honest account would HAVE to include the 1955 Gaza Raid, (Sharon-led Israeli companies killed 37 Egyptian soldiers in a raid) the 1954 Lavon Affair (an attempted Israel false-flag terrorism operation in Egypt, designed to short-circuit Anglo-American overtures to Nasser), and of course the Suez invasion of 1956. None of which appear in Oren’s account.

The Israeli attitude towards the early Nasser regime might be exemplified by the words of defense minister Pinhas Lavon, spoken in a Mapai Central Committee meeting of 1954. If one looked at war from a military point of view, “Today would be better for us than tomorrow, and tomorrow would be better than the day after tomorrow. . . I cannot say I do not want war. I say, I want it, and I wish there was a situation in which there were no Englishmen and no Americans, and there were only us and the Arabs and we could do that.” (The Iron Wall, Avi Shlaim, p. 100)

About Scott McConnell

Scott McConnell is a founding editor of the American Conservative. The former editorial page editor of The New York Post, he has written for Fortune, The New Criterion, National Review, Commentary and many other publications.

15 Responses

The NYT (here and so very many similar stories/editorials) is, I hope, a last gasp of one part of the group of American we-must-hang-together-or-we-shall-certainly-hang-separately folks backing the wrong horse in the Israel/Palestine conflict. what else can the poor dears do, after all? Can they fess up? Now, after all the harm they’ve done? No. Certainly Not! Stiff Upper Lip! Never Excuse, Never Explain! If the world falls on us, let it fall. We will not help it. (Did the Nazis or Japanese give up their fighting in WWII when the writing was on the wall?) Today, the American people must join the Egyptians, saying “let my people go” to the Americans and Israelis.

Even casual historians will remember how Golda Meir prevented Nahum Goldman from discussing peace overtures with Nasser, and how the news of that rejection prompted the first ‘Shministim’ letter in Israeli society, in 1970.

Oren’s credentials remind of me of infomercials. They’re usually filled with slogans, catch phrases, smiling participants, miracle products and amazing results all for a low price and four or six easy payments.

The Shlaim quote from The Iron Wall says it all. It’s hard to believe Americans support this mentality. On CSPAN this morning, the pattern I’ve noticed repeated again, with some ignorant woman calling in and saying the Palestinians are not liked because they are terrorists–with no follow up remark by the host. Here’s a quote barometer of the hateful Israeli mentality through the years–and please don’t tell me more context would make it palatable:
The Israeli mentality–in their own words thru the years–Americans (most especially), Brits, Australians and Canadians (also especially) support this? link to whatreallyhappened.com

New Zealanders too? Thank God, at least the Irish do not. The Germans don’t count–that’s just part of their eternal reparations.

You are a pathological narcissistic. Normal people don’t fixate on Jews like Zionists such as yourself.

Normal people look at the Israel-Palestine conflict and think it was unfair that the Palestinians had to make way for a Jewish State. The 48′ War was fought mostly inside the Palestinian side of the partition. The Palestinians were ethnically cleansed.

You are NOT a victim. Israel has denied Palestinian self-determination for decades. It will continue to deny Palestinian self-determination in any meaningful sense.

Hophmi, could you please explain how you can deny someone as right they don’t have? there is no Jewish right to self determination. the only time the right of self determination is invested into an ethnic group rather than the resident of a territory is when that specific ethnic group is denied the ability to be a part of deciding the political status of their territory. You know like the Palestinians your victims.

I saw this in the paper version, and I was like, LOL. “We wanted Egypt to be peaceful after 1952, but they didn’t like us, wah!” Um… What can you even say to something like that? When you invade someone and f–k with them repeatedly THEY TEND NOT TO LIKE YOU.

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